The California Nebula Captured recently in color (LRGB) using the new QHY600 60 Megapixel Full Frame Monochrome CMOS camera mounted on the Takahashi 130 FSQ that we have the honor of testing for QHYCCD.
This time around mainly due to a lack of clear nights lately I decided to capture the LRGB binned 2x2 for 2 minute exposures so I can capture the data quickly, H-Alpha data that I had captured previously at 1x1 binning was then added to the red channel and as a luminance layer during post processing in photoshop.
I was more than pleased with the results as I found with the 2x2 binning and 4788x3194 pixels there was no if any loss of resolution or detail when using on the TAK. Binning at 2x2 increases the pixel size to 7.5um pixels and full well capacity is increased to 196ke.
LRGB and H-Alpha Captured over 4 nights in January, February and March 2021 for a total acquisition time of 8.1 hours.
This setup is available immediately for people wanting to subscribe to Grand Mesa Observatory's system 1.
https://grandmesaobservatory.com/equipment-rentalsTechnical Details
Captured and processed by: Terry Hancock
Location: GrandMesaObservatory.com Purdy Mesa, Colorado
Dates of Capture January 16th, 31st, February 28th, March 1st2021
LRGB 280 min 35 x 120 sec (each channel)
HA 210 min 21 x 600 sec
Filters by Chroma
Camera: QHY600 Monochrome CMOS Photographic version
Gain 60, Offset 76 in Read Mode Photographic 16 bit (same for 2x2)
Calibrated with Dark, Bias and Flat Frames
Optics: Walter Holloway's Takahashi FSQ 130 APO Refractor @ F5
Image Scale: 1x1 = 1.19 arcsec/pix
Image Scale: 2x2 = 2.38 arcsec/pix
Field of View: 3d 7' 41.0" x 2d 3' 5.3 (127.3 x 190.1 arcmin)
EQ Mount: Paramount ME
Image Acquisition software Maxim DL6, Pre Processing and Starnet in Pixinsight Post Processed in Photoshop CC
Comments